Turkish Chopped Salad

Sometimes you want a substantial salad, one packed with vegetables. 

I know there are times in my life when all I've craved has been tons of good, fresh fruits and vegetables. Off the top of my head I can certainly think of those times when I was home from college (as college dormitories are not notorious for their great produce), and after returning from Africa.

Turkish chopped salad is a great salad for summer with all the fresh vegetables available. Things are even better if you have a garden that can supply you with almost everything you need.

Another plus: this salad is going to keep it's shape, and won't quickly turn into a wilted mess on you.

Turkish Chopped Salad
Adapted from Casa Moro
serves 8 or more

1 English cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, deseeded, and cut into approximately 1 cm pieces
1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into approximately 1 cm pieces
1 green pepper, deseeded and cut into approximately 1 cm pieces
1/3 large red onion, cut into 1 cm dice
10 oz (290 g) cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 c (12 g) fresh minced cilantro

1/4 c (12 g) fresh minced parsley

1 clove garlic, minced and mashed to a paste with salt
zest of 1 lemon
2 T (30 ml) lemon juice
1/2 c (120 ml) olive oil
salt
freshly ground black pepper
plain yogurt (milk or cream added if not a pourable consistency)
3-4 T (42-56 g) butter, melted in a saucepan on medium low and heated until browned and nutty, cooled slightly
chile flakes

Place the cucumber, red pepper, green pepper, red onion, cherry tomato, cilantro and parsley. Zest the lemon on top of the prepared vegetables.  
In a  small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and and pepper.  Adjust the seasonings as necessary, and carefully fold the dressing into the vegetables until everything is coated.  
If plating the salads individually, place a portion of salad on each plate. Spoon yogurt over the top of each salad, drizzle with a bit of the browned butter, and sprinkle with chile flakes. 
If preparing a large salad, spoon the salad onto a large platter or shallow bowl, add the yogurt, butter, and chile flakes on top.